One of the fundamental aspects of RPGs is that they allow us tocustomize our characters to our liking.
This doesn’t just mean letting us play a particular role within their worlds (deciding what to say, what to do, or who to align with), but also urging us to adapt the mechanics to our play style.
Therefore, video games use multiple tools to achieve this, but one of the most prominent isSkill Trees:branching abilities that are unlocked as we progress through the game.
Although they are common outside the RPG genre, this is where the deepest and most interesting uses are seen, as reflected in this ranked list ofthe ten best RPGs with incredible Skill Trees.
10CrossCode
A Retro-inspired Marvel
CrossCodeis one of those wonderful games that reminds me why I’m such a big fan of indie titles, perhaps even more so when they’re underrated like this one.
Thanks to its Circuit and Combat Arts systems, equivalent to the traditional Skill Tree mechanic,the game offers several impressive possibilities like any major RPG.
Given its dozens of passive and active skills, belonging to branches that can be dynamically alternated between each other,CrossCode’s complexity is as great as it’s unexpected.
Its bright retro aesthetic fooled me at first, but it didn’t take me long to recognize that this indie is dense and demanding.You can’t imagine the many hours of content hidden behind its great and engaging gameplay depth, believe me.
9Grim Dawn
Masteries and Dual-classes
As aDiablofan, it’s hard to address the topic of Skill Trees without mentioning the many games that have been inspired by it, such asGrim Dawn.
LikeCrossCode, this is an unfairly overlooked adventure thatvaliantly strives to overcome its inspirations to create something distinctive.
To do so, it features a system of Masteries that quickly become dual classes, allowing you toupgrade two Skill Trees simultaneously.
Initially, there are nine classes with their respective branches, but as you progress,you can combine them to create new specializations that best suit your playing style.
I’d be lying if I said thatGrim Dawndoesn’t feel a bit generic, given its similarity to the game it’s based on. Nonetheless, its systems make me overlook it in favor of focusing onthe merits of its replayability.
8Path of Exile
A Passive System
Path of Exile
Path of Exilehas become one of the most important and beloved ARPGs of recent years thanks to Grinding Gear Games' tireless work.
The depth of the game is astonishing, guaranteeing huge amounts of customization that can overwhelm even the most experienced players.
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Part of the reason for that intricacy is itsPassive Skill Tree, a complex system of more than 1,300 skills that grant passive bonuses to the characters.
The only reason it is so high on the list is because, as the name implies, they are passive skills. However,the density and variety it adds to Path of Exile’s gameplayis such that I would not have forgiven myself for not including it.
7Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
The Classic Three-way
Kingdom of Amalur Reckoning
I’ve played numerous underrated video games in my life, and to such hidden gems, I would addKingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, a magnificent and classic fantasy RPG.
From its mythology to its playable classes and their powers, the title is an ode to RPG standards. So, its Skill Tree is halfway betweenDiabloandWorld of Warcraft, making it a satisfying adventure from the start.
In addition, it has a Destiny system, which allows you to choose from many branches within each class. Through the selection of special cards, you’re able to vary your skills and passives to keep the gameplay fresh.
As you can also change Destinies at will and redistribute your points invested in the tree without effort,Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning stimulates and rewards experimentation, which is so necessary to get the most out of an RPG.
6The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Between Alchemy and Signs
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Far from traditional RPGs where you choose one of three classes,The Witcher 3: Wild Huntconcentrates everything on a single, powerful protagonist who has multiple specializations.
Given the game’s mythology, we are not faced with the typical division between Mage, Rogue, and Warrior, but ratherwith the Witchers' natural signs andalchemy.
Therefore,the focus of the title’s Skill Tree is tactical. All abilities actively allow you to change or improve Geralt’s capacities and limit those of enemies, but always within a strategic sense.
For reference, it’s less accessible thanDragon Age: Inquisitionbut more thanPath of Exile, demonstrating the uniqueness ofThe Witcher 3’s fantasy and its effectiveness.
Accessible Experimentation
While I don’t consider myself a casual RPG player, it’s also true I can often feel overwhelmed if the number of options is excessive.
From there, it’s easier to understand my special fixation withDiablo 3, a work that sacrificed part of the complexity of the franchise’s RPG component to allow a greater number of players to enjoy it.
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This brought various retaliations, but I think I’m not wrong when I say it’sone of the greatest and most addictive RPGsof the last decades due to its accessible depth.
With numerous classes and branches, the product of a cautious but accessible Skill Tree,Diablo 3is a highly replayable and entertaining work.
Perhaps it doesn’t reach the level of density where you have to have an Excel spreadsheet to be able to unravel its operation, but I think it foundan ideal balance to reconcile both veterans and novices of the genre.
4World of Warcraft
A Talented Pioneer
World of Warcraft
In one way or another, everything that has to do with RPGs ends up leading toWorld of Warcraft, a pioneering title in many ways, but especially in gameplay.
AfterDiablo 2set the standard for Skill Trees, Blizzard’s creation brought it to the masses, having a particularly sensitive impact on theMMORPG variant.
Today, the talent system has gone through various transformations and processes. Yet,it has never stopped being complex and fascinatingenough to have a devoted community to debate the best combinations and create online calculators.
That said, I admit it hurts me a little that World of Warcraft has become an eternal practice of min-maxing, thinking of the game more as a series of numbers than asa series of experiences.
However, it depends on how you live your time in Azeroth, and I live it prioritizing the entertainment of its systems above all else.
3Cyberpunk 2077
Creativity at its Finest
Cyberpunk 2077
Despite taking a while to get to the best shape,Cyberpunk 2077isone of the best RPGsout there, especially thanks to CD Projekt RED’s ability to make dense, stylized, and easily distinguishable gameplay.
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Unlike at launch, the updates to the game have led to it becoming a title packed with unique builds that go beyond just dealing more damage or having more health points.
Now, from being a stealthy hacker to a destructive juggernaut, each path is supported byingenious abilities that create a genuine sense of creative autonomy.
Alongside the arrival ofPhantom Liberty,Cyberpunk 2077’s current Skill Tree is so specific and full of opportunities that CD Projekt has even set up abuild planner page. Now that’s some real progress.
2Salt and Sanctuary
Massive Scale and Combinations
Salt and Sanctuary
It’s no coincidenceSalt and Sanctuaryis the only indie on this list, as it features an atypically giant Skill Tree that far exceeds the dimensions of what we’ve seen in even AAA games.
I’ve finished the campaign multiple times with different characters, and I haven’t been able to fully unravel all the possibilities its systems offer.
Still,the simple process of experimenting with the hundreds of variations has been more than rewarding. While it takes on an extra value for the unexpected size, it certainly backs it up with quality.
In the end,Salt and Sanctuaryis more than the dimensions of its possibilities—it’s not for nothing thebest 2D Souls-Likeout there, if you ask me, though it’s clear its complex Skill Tree has a lot to do with it.
1The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Out-of-this-world Ramifications
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrimis a gaming icon.Bethesda’s finest productis one of the gaming industry’s highest points, and its immersion is the key asset of such a titan.
This not only refers to the game’s environmental ability to make you feel within its universe, but also to subject you toa natural gameplay progression few titles have replicated.
With a dozen and a half Skill Trees,Skyrim allows you to have the kind of experience you want as long as you commit to doing it mechanically.
Instead of just leveling up and placing points arbitrarily, you have to master the area in question, creating a sense of connection between the player and the trees.
If you want to be a destroyer mage, you have to defeat enemies with your magic. If you want to have a silver tongue, you have to engage in a lot of dialogue. If you want to be a blacksmith, you have to forge a lot of daggers. And so on.
It’s a logical system, but it works incomparably, andit reminds us why Skyrim is one of the most influential modern gaming classics.
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